Bridge plate type rail joint



Feb. 1, 1949. R. PREMOLI ET AL BRIDGE PLATE TYPE RAIL JOINT 00 pE/V/dl.

Cams/1T.

INVENTORS ATTORNEY Filed Aug. 26, 1947 BRIDGE PLATE TYPE RAIL JOINT Filed Aug. 26, 194 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V E N TOR S flaw/,4; .00 Pea/v04 ATTORN Patented Feb. 1, 1 949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Romualdo Premoli and Paul Corbat,

Baden, Switzerland Application- August 26, 1947, Serial No. 770,69

7 In'Switzei-land August 27, 1946 3 Claims. (01. 238-205) The present invention relates to an improved fish joint for connecting the ends of rails of railroads, more particularly to a joint of the type in which the ends of the rails are held in bridge plates by means of fish plates or angle bars displaced underneath the heads and between the webs of the rails and an upright portion of the bridge plate. The feet of the rails do not rest on the bridge plate} In the conventional designs the angle bars are bolted to the rails whereby holes must be provided in the rail webs for the bolts. This weakens'the ends of the rails and yet doesnot fullyprevent relative-movement of the rail ends when being loaded.

The object-of the present invention is the provision of a rail joint of the type set forth above which has no bolts extending through the web of the rail and does not necessitate holes in the rail webs. In the joint according to the invention the angle bars do not only bearagainst the rail :head and the upright portion of the bridge plate but also against the webs of the rails and against the feet of the rails. With the joint according to the invention, When the rails are loaded, components of the resulting pressure are transmitted through the angle bars to the webs and the feet and both rail ends are held so tightly in the bridge plate that a relative vertical movement of the rail ends is made impossible.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rail joint of the type set forth above which locks itself under the weight of the train running over it and thereby prevents vertical displacement of the rail ends when a wheel is on the joint; as soon as the load is taken ofi the joint the rail ends are free to move in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the rails and to a certain extent also vertically. The construction of the new joint is simple and strong and so that wear of its operating surfaces cannot cause looseness, as any clearances or play resulting from wear are immediately and automatically taken care of by suitable configuration andcombination of the parts forming the joint according to the invention. The new rail joint requires no maintenance. In spite of the great rigidity of the joint according to the invention, it does not constitute a hard spot in the track which may cause pounding. A reason for this is that the new joint is very short and does not interfere with the elasticity of the rail.

The joint according to the invention can be used in combination with wooden or steel ties. The required inclination of the rail can be provided for by suitable design of the bridge plate.

The new joint can be used in combination with 2 any conventional configuration of the ends and of the cross section of the rails. 1

Further and other objects of the present invention will be hereinafter set forth in the'accompanying specification and claims and shown in the drawings, which, by way of illustration, show what we now consider to be preferred embodiments of our invention.

- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a rail joint according to the invention; 7 v

, Fig. 2 is a top view of the joint shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the joint illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the section being taken along dot-dash line A-B of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side view of adjacent rail ends cut in a modified way and suitable to be jointed according to the invention;

Fig. 5 is a side view of a portion of a modified rail joint according to the invention whereby an angle bar has an'extensio'n replacing part of the rail heads cut away from' adjacent rail ends;

Fig; 6 is a top View of the portion of the new modified joint shown in Fig. 5;

. Fig. 7 is a cross section along line VII-4711 of the joint illustrated in Fig. 5.

Like parts are designated by like numerals in all figures of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, numeral I designates a bridge plate which has two upright portions 2 and 3. Rail ends 4 and 5 are disposed between said upright portions. The insides of portions 2 and 3 have inclined faces i, 8, respectively, which support angle bars 9 and it, respectively. In addition to their faces abutting faces 7 and 8 of the bridge plate, the angle bars are provided with faces bearing against the faces II and I2 of the undersides of the heads of the ends of the rails 4 and 5. The lower portions of the angle bars 9 and ID are spaced from the upper surfaces of the feet of rails d and 5. Upward and thereby lateral displacement of the angle bars is prevented by screws I3, I4, I5 and I6 which extend from the underside of clamps ll, I8, I53 and 20, respectively, and bear against horizontal surfaces of suitable recesses provided in the angle bars. The clamps II, I8, I9 and 20 are secured to the bridge plate by bolts 2i, 22, 23 and 24, respectively. Bolts 25 secure the bridge plate to the ties 26.

The angle bars 9 and I 9 have surfaces 21 and 28, respectively, bearing against the web of the rail ends.

Wedges 29 bear individually against the feet of the rai1 ends as well as against horizontal surfaces V 30 in recesses at the underside of the angle bars.

These wedges are driven individually toward the center of the device by screws 3|. 7 V

The new rail joint operates as follows: When the ends'of rails 5 are loaded their heads press the angle bars 9, H! down between the inclined surfaces I and 8 of the bridge member I wherebyscomponents of the pressure are transferred *to the webs of both rails and 'the ends of both rails are gripped simultaneously and tightly in the bridge plate. 'Because of the particular arrangement and cooperation of the wedged parts, all members of the joint are firmly interlocked without undesired stressing off 'screws or bolts. the stresses therein are released because of the wedge action and the rails are 'freeto flex.

For providing for great relative movement of the rail ends due to changes in temperature, the ends may be formed as shown in Fig. 4. The clearance between the webs 's ilkiil feet :.of the :rail ends is bridged over by the head of ,-at,.-least-%zone tail. The ends of :the :rail ;heads are cutzi-n staggered .iashi-on and overlap :along the (longitudinal axes of gthei-rails. With -,-a jointoonstructiontaccord ii-ng sf/O the invention this away of cutting the rails impermissible and safe.

Alternatively, a lateral portion of the rail heads may be cut away and replaced by :an extension 32 vof an angle :bar 133 as "illustrated in Eigs. 5 to'l.

:'ments :of our invention to he preferred :s-embodi- ,ments, .we wishqit to'he understoodithat'werddnot desire "to be limited to :the exact details of design ,and lcons'truct'ion shown and described, for obvious modifications occur to :a person skilledinthe art.

We claim: 7

*1. In a joint for connecting adjacent ends .of rails of a railroad track, a .b'ridgeplate having an inside :base surface spaced'from the undersides of the rail ends to be joined and having an upright When the joint is relieved of its -loa'd a V tions, hold down means connected Withsaidbridge plate and bearing down individually on said angle bar -and Wedge shaped members individually disposed between the underside of said angle bars and tlre upper surfaces of the feet of therails.

a joint as set forth in claim 1, adjust- -ment screws extending through always one uprig-htportion of the'bridge plate and bearing individually against said wedge shaped members.

3. a joint as set forth in claim 1, said hold down means being individually connected with an individual upright ;,portion of the -bridge -plate and comprising individually asmember extending :irom the upper a ortion :of :em portion of the bridge plate towardv the upright gacrtion of an angle bar, and an adjustment screw extending iil'lJ-I'Ol-lfih said member and projecting downward therefrom and bearing against thehori-zontal portionoi-the angle'bar.

.LROMUALDQ KPREMQ'LI.

PAUL :CORBAT.

REFERENCES CITED 7 ltollowrngreierermes :are :of Tecor d in the file of this patent 

